One of the great things I have been allowed to do the last several months is to teach our middle school and high school students on Sunday mornings. Once the PEARLS exam was finished, I now work with the High School students. Both groups are awesome, encouraging, and inspiring because of who they are.
We are going back and digging a little deeper in each lesson of the workbook we used to prepare for the PEARLS exam because of the richness of each lesson. Last Sunday morning, we talked about the Serpent’s lie in Genesis 3 along with the many names and identifiers of Satan found throughout Scripture.
In that conversation, we talked about what we are up against in Satan and the world’s challenges. I shared with them that my goal is to give them something they can leave with after each class and get them over the mountains they are facing. That’s my goal now. Having a strong foundation in Christ and a growing faith will not allow us to just coast through each and every day, but seeking to follow Jesus will allow our path to be bearable!
What are ways to stay faithful?
1. Matthew 6:25-34– Seek God’s Kingdom. We might say “pursue” all the God would have us to through our daily walk. In doing so, we can understand the righteousness of our Lord.
2. I Thessalonians 4:3– Strive to remain sanctified (holiness). Satan is seeking to drag us down in the ugliness and filth the word has to offer.
3. I Thessalonians 5:16-18– Give thanks! If we can have an attitude of gratitude, we will be too busy to complain. May we maintain the perspective of remembering all the blessings we have in Christ.
4. Colossians 1:9-12– We know that knowledge is “power.” God’s Word equips us with power to battle Satan and fill our mind with Christ!
5. Ephesians 5:15-21– Embrace security. Understanding the Will of Lord shields us from the whims of Satan. May we use our time wisely!
No doubt that many of us are tired of being pursed by Satan (1 Peter 5:8) and fighting through the “winds” of each day. If we will seek to look to Christ for rest, we will find it. Matthew 11:28-30 directs us to the words of Jesus. We may feel weighted down, but Jesus says, “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
No matter where you find yourself today, God is calling you to remain faithful through Scriptures and obey the Good News. Building our faith is not about perfection, but perseverance. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 teaches us that having a strong relationship with our Lord will allow us to be not only protected from the storms of life, but a promise to keep us safe from evil to get us home one day. This passage says, “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.” Let’s stay faithful!
